


Subject A7 'The Leader'

by MomoMoon115



Category: The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nalby (Mentioned), Paradise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-08
Updated: 2015-09-08
Packaged: 2018-04-19 17:15:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4754588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MomoMoon115/pseuds/MomoMoon115
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thomas tells Minho about Newt. The reaction is not what he expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Subject A7 'The Leader'

**Author's Note:**

> So this was supposed to be a drabble, but it ended up being a bit more than that. based off the writing prompt “I let you down. How am I supposed to forgive myself for that?”

“I killed Newt.” Thomas blurted and immediately flinched away from Minho. He opened his eyes seconds later to find Minho biting his lip so hard they’d bleed. He gave Minho a once over. He was tense, his hands clenched into fists, his feet dug into the ground, his eyes downcast. 

“Minho?” Thomas asked carefully. This was not what he’d expected. Violence? Definitely, but not angry silence. 

“You can hit me you know.” 

Minho’s eyes flicked up to Thomas, and he let out a frightening growl. Thomas jumped. 

Minho inhaled deeply. “How?” 

“Back during the Right Arm patrols. I came across him with another group of Cranks. He begged me to shoot him, to kill him. I didn’t want to, but he pleaded. So I did, it was his last wish.” 

Minho wiped harshly at his face. “Okay.”

“Okay? Okay?! I confessed to killing your best friend and that’s all you have to say, Minho? I’ve been harboring guilt over this for months and that’s all?” Thomas’ voice broke. 

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Thomas. I let you down. I let Newt down. How am I supposed to forgive myself for that?”

“Forgive? Are you shucked? Why would it be your fault!? I killed him.” 

Minho sighed. “After the Scorch, when we were all separated-” 

“You were separated too?” 

Minho nodded. “Ratman and some shuckface with a mustache was with me. Wrote names on a board.” 

Thomas listened quietly. 

“Newt, Frypan, Harriet, Sonya, Aris, Teresa, Brenda, and you.”Minho stared off into the distance.

“Asked me if I recognized all the names. They were taping me. Had a beetle blade stuck on the wall somewhere. ” Minho turned his head to look at Thomas.. 

“They said they were gonna ask me a question. Part of the trials. Ratman left and the mustache man asked me the question for the experiment or whatever the shuck thing they were doing.” 

Minho stopped speaking completely. Thomas gave him a minute. Minho was looking past him. Probably remembering the trial. 

“What was the question?” Thomas whispered. 

“Our doctors have determined that we need to dissect the brains of these subjects for a more indepth study. But we will allow you to spare one of them. Which person do you choose to save?” Minho recited perfectly. “Those words have echoed inside my head every night. Everytime I think of what happened before we got to Paradise.”

Thomas was stunned. That was crazy. He would never be able to endure that pressure. He knew Minho was strong, there was a reason ‘The Leader’ was tattooed onto his neck. 

“Who did you choose?” 

Had Minho choose Newt? Is that why he blamed himself. Is that why Newt asked me to kill him? 

“No one.” 

“What?” 

“I don’t know how I passed. But I chose no one. At that moment, I made a promise to myself. I promised to save and protect every single one of you. Even those shuckfaced Group B girls that took you away and threatened us in the Scorch. Even after everything Teresa did. Even Brenda who I knew shuck about. I wanted to make sure none of you were ever hurt. I wanted to protect all of you. That was my vow in that moment.”

“They couldn’t possibly left you just like that. What did they do to you?” 

“The shuckface piece of klunk beat me. Kept yelling that I had to choose. Punched me in the face a few times. Thought I’d go deaf if anything. But I wouldn’t back down. I wanted to save you all. I was in that room all of fifteen minutes before he sent me on my way.” Minho finished with a grin. 

Thomas looked at him in awe. 

“The point is” Minho stopped. “The point is that I failed. Teresa’s dead. Newt is dead. I couldn’t save you all.”

“Why would you put that weight on your shoulders?” Thomas demanded.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Newt as soon as it happened?” Minho snapped back. 

Thomas stepped back surprised. He knew why Minho chose that path. He was a leader through and through. There was no doubt. He looked down to see Minho still pressing his dirty, jagged nails into his palms and took his hand in his. 

“It’s not your fault.” 

Minho looked into Thomas’ eyes. 

“It’s not your fault.” Minho echoed. “If it’s something Newt wanted, I can deal with that. Stupid shuck’s had problems in the Glade since the beginning.” 

“You mean when he jumped off the wall?” 

Minho smirked. “He tell you that?”

Thomas nodded. 

“You did the right thing, Thomas. Newt-” Minho paused to find the right words. 

“Newt is someone that accidentally hurts people and doesn’t see it sometimes. Admiral Alby,” Minho saluted. “Read him best. Those two were peas in a pod. Newt asked you to shoot him because he wanted to protect me or didn’t think I could do it, but he didn’t factor in that you’d thought of him as a close friend as well. Maybe there was even that one spec deep down that still wanted to be with Alby. Those two were inseparable after the accident after all. I don’t know what he was thinking when he asked you, but he would have died anyway. You just killed him before he was completely gone. He died as Newt.”

Thomas stared at Minho in wonder. “When did you get so smart?”

“Shut up, Shank. I’ve always been this smart.” Minho grinned punching Thomas lightly on the shoulder. 

Thomas started to follow Minho as he walked away. “Minho?” 

Minho stopped a few feet in front of Thomas and turned around arms behind his head. 

“Is that why you stayed with me? After the accident with Newt, did you feel left out? We had our fair share of accidents too. Is that why we’re so close?” 

“Maybe.” Minho shrugged. “Should it matter?” 

Thomas shook his head and jogged to catch up. 

“Watch it, Shank, we ain’t runners anymore.” Minho teased as they made their way to the camp.


End file.
